Electronic mail software and even certain two-way text paging systems provide the user with the ability to automatically append a “signature” to outgoing messages. This signature is generally a predefined segment of text that identifies the message sender (but could be any data that a user wishes to routinely append to messages). When the sender elects to send the text, or alternatively when a new message is initiated, the signature is appended at the end of the message. This saves the user from having to enter an identifying segment of information (e.g., name, address, email address, phone numbers, etc.) each time a message is created or sent. Since there is generally no practical limit to the size of messages sent on such systems, such signatures are readily accommodated without causing any problems.
Short Messaging Services such as supported by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) cellular phone standards provide a user with a suitable messaging device and an account with the ability to send short messages (e.g., messages with a size limit) to other users. Such messages may be limited in size, for example to approximately 160 characters in certain systems, or multiples of a set number of characters based on the transmission protocol including punctuation, spaces, etc. Since the messages are rather severely limited in length, automatic signatures, such as those used in popular email programs are not used since the signature may not fit in a given message. Thus the user who wishes to add a signature or graphical icon to his or her short message must do so by manually entering the signature at the end of each message.